Problem-solving is a skill, like any other, and a key component of problem-solving is creativity. Usually, solving a problem requires openness to new ideas and perspectives; if the old ones had worked, there wouldn't be a problem!
Creativity uses the part of your brain that is open to new experiences and able to find new solutions. So when you face a problem, you can tap into that part of your brain to make solving it much, much easier. Here are three ways to use creativity in problem-solving:
1. Examine your problem from the outside, using role-playing; in other words, pretend you are someone else. Maybe that new perspective will help you see your problem differently. Use your imagination to make your role-playing very real; remember, you were a master at pretending when you were a child!
2. Reframe the problem as a creative challenge. A creative challenge is phrased in an open way that helps you look outside your normal frames of reference. For example, if your problem is "we're under price pressure", the creative challenge might be something like, "what could we do to or say about our product to make it more valuable to our customers?"
3. Roll back past choices to see if other roads could have been taken. If a problem is really difficult to solve, it may have started very early on. Reexamining choices that have already been made is a great way to identify opportunities to start fresh. Creativity comes into this process because you will need to imagine how changing a decision could have resulted in a different outcome--an act of imagination.
Engaging creativity in a problem-solving situation is a conscious choice. When we're worried, we have a tendency to react with tired old patterns. Instead, tell yourself that you are going to be open to new ideas. You'll find that much more effective.
Creativity uses the part of your brain that is open to new experiences and able to find new solutions. So when you face a problem, you can tap into that part of your brain to make solving it much, much easier. Here are three ways to use creativity in problem-solving:
1. Examine your problem from the outside, using role-playing; in other words, pretend you are someone else. Maybe that new perspective will help you see your problem differently. Use your imagination to make your role-playing very real; remember, you were a master at pretending when you were a child!
2. Reframe the problem as a creative challenge. A creative challenge is phrased in an open way that helps you look outside your normal frames of reference. For example, if your problem is "we're under price pressure", the creative challenge might be something like, "what could we do to or say about our product to make it more valuable to our customers?"
3. Roll back past choices to see if other roads could have been taken. If a problem is really difficult to solve, it may have started very early on. Reexamining choices that have already been made is a great way to identify opportunities to start fresh. Creativity comes into this process because you will need to imagine how changing a decision could have resulted in a different outcome--an act of imagination.
Engaging creativity in a problem-solving situation is a conscious choice. When we're worried, we have a tendency to react with tired old patterns. Instead, tell yourself that you are going to be open to new ideas. You'll find that much more effective.
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